Vertical electrodes or vias are electrodes which extend in a vertical direction of a semiconductor body. Such electrodes can be used in a semiconductor component to electrically connect active regions implemented in the region of a first surface of the semiconductor body with an electrode arranged above a second surface of the semiconductor body, or can be used to electrically connect active regions which are arranged in different vertical positions of the semiconductor body.
Conventionally such vertical electrodes can be produced by etching a trench into the semiconductor body and filling the trench with an electrode material. However, while trenches can be easily etched in silicon, there are semiconductor materials, like gallium nitride (GaN) or silicon carbide (SiC), which are difficult to etch or in which etching processes take a long time and therefore are expensive.
There is therefore a need to provide a method for producing a vertical electrode in a semiconductor layer including a semiconductor material which is difficult to etch, like, for example, GaN or SiC.